The Bonesetter’s Daughter

by

Amy Tan

Mother (Liu) Character Analysis

Mother is the woman LuLing grows up thinking is her mother. She’s married to Liu Jin Sen, the eldest Liu brother, whom LuLing grows up believing is her father. In reality, this couple is LuLing’s aunt and uncle, but LuLing doesn’t discover this until after Precious Auntie’s death. Mother and Father have a daughter, GaoLing, whom LuLing continues to see as her sister, even after the truth about her parentage comes to light. Growing up, LuLing is often jealous of the favoritism Mother displays toward GaoLing. Mother resents Precious Auntie and blames her for the misfortunes that befall the Liu family. She only allows Precious Auntie to remain in the house to respect the wishes of Great-Granny, who is highly superstitious and fears that Baby Uncle’s (LuLing’s biological father) ghost will haunt them if they throw out Precious Auntie and her illegitimate child. After Great-Granny dies, Mother becomes the matriarch of the Liu family and, no longer beholden to Great-Granny’s superstitious beliefs, sends LuLing to live in an orphanage.

Mother (Liu) Quotes in The Bonesetter’s Daughter

The The Bonesetter’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Mother (Liu) or refer to Mother (Liu). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Secrecy and Misunderstanding  Theme Icon
).
Part One: Chapter Four Quotes

This was the crazy woman who had cared for her mother since birth, who had smothered LuLing with fears and superstitious notions. LuLing had told her that when she was fourteen, this nursemaid killed herself in a gruesome way that was “too bad to say.” Whatever means the nursemaid used, she also made LuLing believe it was her fault. Precious Auntie was the reason her mother was convinced she could never be happy, why she always had to expect the worst, fretting until she found it.

Related Characters: Ruth Young, LuLing Liu Young, Precious Auntie, GaoLing Young, Mother (Liu)
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two: Ghost Quotes

I searched for her until dusk. By then, my eyes were swollen with dust and tears. I never found her. And as I climbed back up, I was a girl who had lost part of herself in the End of the World.

Related Characters: LuLing Liu Young (speaker), Precious Auntie, GaoLing Young, Mother (Liu)
Related Symbols: Bones
Page Number: 222-223
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mother (Liu) Quotes in The Bonesetter’s Daughter

The The Bonesetter’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Mother (Liu) or refer to Mother (Liu). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Secrecy and Misunderstanding  Theme Icon
).
Part One: Chapter Four Quotes

This was the crazy woman who had cared for her mother since birth, who had smothered LuLing with fears and superstitious notions. LuLing had told her that when she was fourteen, this nursemaid killed herself in a gruesome way that was “too bad to say.” Whatever means the nursemaid used, she also made LuLing believe it was her fault. Precious Auntie was the reason her mother was convinced she could never be happy, why she always had to expect the worst, fretting until she found it.

Related Characters: Ruth Young, LuLing Liu Young, Precious Auntie, GaoLing Young, Mother (Liu)
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two: Ghost Quotes

I searched for her until dusk. By then, my eyes were swollen with dust and tears. I never found her. And as I climbed back up, I was a girl who had lost part of herself in the End of the World.

Related Characters: LuLing Liu Young (speaker), Precious Auntie, GaoLing Young, Mother (Liu)
Related Symbols: Bones
Page Number: 222-223
Explanation and Analysis: